When to Start on Your Toes

Many of you know that we are supposed to start on out toes. But do you know why? And do you know when to start on your toes? First of all, by the toes, what we

Speed, Speed, Speed

The sport of hockey is all about SPEED, SPEED, SPEED! Coaches, scouts, EVERYONE, is looking at your speed.Skating, and the ability to control the puck and do ma

Becoming A Complete Hockey Player

What does it take to become a complete hockey player?Hockey is an intricate and difficult sport. It requires many skills, all of which are separate and distinct

Transitional Moves

Hockey players weave, cut turn, and change direction at blinding speeds. Transition in hockey means sudden changes in play from one direction to another. When t

Quickness Training

To become a great hockey skater, correct skating technique is imperative. In the process of learning to execute a skating maneuver correctly, I insist that play

How Good is Good Enough?

Over the years Ive noticed that the majority of hockey players enroll in power skating programs once, occasionally twice. Only a minority of players considers i

Hockey Training for Different Age Groups

With special thanks to my friend and colleague, Dr. Jack Blatherwick, PhD., Physiologist, Washington Capitals Hockey Team.His thoughts, insights, and knowledge

Drag Touch

Its been my favorite drill for 28 years. Ive used it to improve the forward stride of thousands of hockey players ranging from novice to pro. Tried and true,

Little Ovechkin

There are skills … and there are SKILLS in the heat of battleThis tip was written by Jack Blatherwick, renowned expert in the field of hockey training and condi

The Skating Pushes and Power Generation

There are four major pushes in hockey skating (one or two others are not mentioned here). I have named these pushes so that players can easily visualize and rem

One Third, One Third, One Third Principle

A common misconception is that the push of the forward stride comes mainly from the front of the blade (the toes). This is not so..We push from the entire blade

Elements of Force Application Necessary to Generate Speed

All sports utilize the elements of force application to generate movement. The elements are the same in all sports but the methods of applying them are differen

The Edges

What They Are, How To Use ThemThe skate blade is like a sharp knife, except that instead of having one sharp edge, it has two sharp edges. We call these the in

Common Elements of Speed

Speed in todays hockey is almost blinding. Players seem to move at the speed of light. When we think of skating speed, we seem to focus on straight ahead speed.

Circle Physics and Speed in Crossovers

Crossovers are the maneuvers that enable players to accelerate on curves, circles and corners. They make it possible for players to generate speed for the stra

Weaving Crossovers for Lateral Mobility

Weaving from one side to another creates lateral mobility and is the basis for faking (deking). Faking is accomplished by crossing over one way (right over left

What is the C - Cut Push and how is it used in Hockey

When I first started teaching power skating in 1971 I needed to find a name for a certain push that is used or incorporated into many hockey maneuvers. Because

The Toe Flick

One of my principles of hockey skating involves what I call the "one third, one third, one third" principle. This means that the hockey blade is divid

Tight Turns

The Pivot (Tight Turn)One of the most important agility moves in hockey is the pivot or tight turn. Wayne Gretzky was a master of this move. He used it magicall

The Hockey Stop

The hockey stop is that sudden, flashy move that sends snow flying and has spectators gawking. It is the move that players use to stop on a dime. Many coaches i